Stillman day



(No Model.)

S. DAY.

HUB ATTAGHING DBVIGE. I

No. 568,894. Patented 001;. 6, 1896.

I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STILLIWIAN DAY, OF LEOMINSTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE F. A.IVHITNEY CARRIAGE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

Y HUB-ATTACHING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 568,894, dated October6, 1896.

Application filed January 13, 1896. Serial No. 575,259. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, STILLMAN DAY, of Leominster, county of IVorcester,State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in H ub-Attachin gDevices for Vehicles, of which the following description, in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters andnumerals on the draw ings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object to provide a novel device forattaching wheel-hubs to the axles of vehicles which shall dispense withthe use of the usual threaded nut at the outer end of the axle.

In my invention to be described the moving parts of the device aremounted upon the axle instead of upon the wheel-hnb,.as heretofore, andby thus mounting the device upon the axle I am enabled to greatlysimplify and improve the construction of the device.

In the drawings, Figure I, in side elevation with the wheel partiallybroken away, shows an axle and a Wheel-hub secured thereon by means ofan attaching device embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a verticallongitudinal section of the device shown in Fig. 1, a part of the axlebeing shown in elevation; Fig. 3, an outer end view of the wheel-hub;Fig. 4, a vertical cross-section on the dotted line a: to, Fig. 2,looking to the right; and Fig. 5, a View illustrating a modified form ofmy invention.

'In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4,inclusive, to which reference will be had, a is a part of a carriageaxleprovided with a usual arm a, on which the wheel-hub Z) is mounted torotate.

The wheel-hub herein shown is a metallic hub of usual construction, butwhether of metal or of wood the said hub is, in my invention, providedat one end, herein shown as and preferably the inner end, with anannular or ring-like holding-lip 17, adapted to be engaged by aspring-controlled catch 0, mounted upon the axle and shown as arrangedto rise and fall thereon for engagement with and disengagement from thesaid lip 17.

In the construction shown the catch 0 is provided with a cylindricalshank 0, adapted to rise and fall in a suitable socket d, bolted orotherwise secured at d to the axle, said shank a being shown as providedat its upper end with a suitable head 0 between which and the bottom ofthe socket is interposed a spring 0 adapted to move the said catchnormally into its position, engaging the lip on and maintaining the hubin running position.

The catch 0 is formed by a rigid bar notched to receive the lip on thehub and therefore presents two walls or surfaces 1 2, the wall 1 actingto prevent removal of the wheel from the axle, while the wall 2 acts asa stop-surface, against which the lip b travels during rotation of thewheel and which moves the limit of inward movement of the wheel on theaxle.

I have shown a dust-guard e on the axle, and, it may be, forming a partof the socket, casting d, to close the opening at the inner end of thehub, into which the catch 0 enters for engagement with the lip 19'.

For the best results the outer end of the catch 0 is beveled, as shown,in order that the wheel-hub may be pushed directly onto the axle withoutrequiring positive movement of the catch by the operator, said catchautomatically movingto engage and hold the hub. For disengagement,however, the catch 0 must be positively moved from engagement with thewhole lip.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a slightly-modified form of my invention, whereinthe catch f is pivoted to the axle f and is held in engag ing positionby a suitable, preferably spiral, spring f shown as recessed into theaxle and seated in an upwardly extended inverted socket f By myinvention the number of moving parts and the construction and operationof the same are reduced to the simplest possible condition andoperation, much simpler, in fact, than is possible where the parts aremounted upon the hub. I also find that the same may be applied tovehicles with hardly any excess of cost over the usual 11 ut threadedupon the outer end of the axle.

That I claim is- 1. In a hub-attaching device, the combination with anannular inturned lip on the hub, of a rigid bar permanently secured tothe axle, notched at its outer end to snugly fit said lip and therebyconstitute an unyielding catch having a retaining-Wall on one side andan opposed stop-surface on the other side firmly holding the hub againstlongitudinal movement in either direction, said bar being rigidly heldat its inner end against longitudinal movement, and a spring independentof said bar normally maintaining the same in yielding engagement withsaid lip, substantially as described.

2. In a hub-attaching device, the combination With an annular inturnedlip on the hub, of a socket-piece fixed on and projecting laterally fromthe axle, a rigid bar, notched at its outer end to snugly fit said lipan d thereby constitute an unyielding catch having a retaining-Wall onone side and an opposed stopsurface on the other side, firmly holdingthe hub against longitudinal movement in either direction, said barbeing rigidly held at its inner end by said shoulder againstlongitudinal movement, and having a shank held by and operating in saidsocket-piece, and a spring independent of said bar normally holding thesame in engagement with said lip, substantially as described. 7

3. In a hub-attaching device, the combination with an annular inturnedlip on the hub, of a socket-piece fixed on the axle, an annulardust-guard secured to the said socket-piece and surrounding the axleclosely adjacent said hub, a rigid bar, having a notch at its outer endto engage said lip, and a radiallyprojecting shank at its inner end heldby and operating in said socket-piece, said dustguard being properly cutaway to permit said bar to operate, and a spring normally holding saidbar in engagement with said lip, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

STILLMAN DAY.

\Vitnesses:

CHARLES A. J OSLIN, MARGARET D. MORSE.

